Sunday, 21 March 2010

Halcyon Days

Not much time for intentional birding over the last two weekends as we have been visiting old friends and family. However, as often seems the case, unintentional birding can really surprise you.

Mum and Dad's first floor flat is in the middle of a development in the middle of one of Grimsby's large connected villages. We were having lunch in the kitchen and Rebecca chanced to look out of the window. Someone had cut down the hedges and conifers that had blocked the view for so long and this let her see the pond in a neighbour's garden. There were frogs, goldfish and a strange trellis structure, which looked like it was designed to keep herons away from the fish.

If that was the case, it wasn't saving the fish.

And a closer crop to show we weren't imagining it.

April's Bird Watching magazine is rather sniffy about "the usual rough and ready record shots found on most birding blogs". Well, I'm very sorry Bird Watching, this is another of those. But we were so excited to see the bird and I was so chuffed to get a record of it, you know what, I don't care. And anyway, whilst I enjoy looking at the art of a cleverly composed, crisply focussed bird portrait, I vote for enthusiasm and excitement every time. Even if it is a little rough about the edges.